Foreign Minister Murray McCully has announced diplomat Linda Te Puni as New Zealand's next High Commissioner to Tuvalu.

'New Zealand's relationship with Tuvalu continues to go from strength to strength and I am pleased to announce that Ms Te Puni will be New Zealand's new non-resident High Commissioner to Tuvalu,” Mr McCully says

'We have recently completed two major aid projects in Tuvalu focused on renewable energy and the rehabilitation of the ‘borrow pits'.

'New Zealand has contributed $19.5 million towards the development of four solar energy systems on the Northern Outer Islands of Tuvalu. These systems met 95 per cent of the outer island's electricity demands and are forecast to save around 240,000 litres of imported diesel per year.

'We have also funded a major project to fill in large low-lying ‘borrow pits' on Funafuti atoll which had become filled with rubbish and stagnant water.

'New Zealand provided $10 million and engineering expertise towards the project which has resulted in an 8 per cent increase in total available land on Funafuti atoll, and a safer, healthier, environment for the people of Tuvalu.

'Ms Te Puni will be responsible for overseeing our on-going aid programme in Tuvalu and continuing to develop the relationship between our two countries,” Mr McCully says.

Ms Te Puni has served as Consul General to the French Pacific as well as New Zealand High Commissioner to the Cook Islands. As a non-resident High Commissioner she will be based in Wellington.

Source: Office of Murray McCully.